WTF?

If you were at Washougal, or if you listened to it on the racer x motocross show on motocross.com, you know what happened by now. But for those of you who weren’t there, you missed out. Judging by the first motos it would appear to be a really boring day. 2 Kawasaki pilots swept wire to wire in the first 250 and 450 motos, in Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart. But the 2nd motos were the complete opposite of the first 2. Wild doesn’t even begin to describe the madness that all 28,000 fans witnessed at Washougal MX park. Starting with the 2nd 250, Ryan Villopoto crossed the holeshot line in about 20th positioin with Hepler, Dungey and Townley all out front. Ryan Villopoto was riding like a man possessed, absolutely killing all the berms around the Washougal track, and putting in consistant laps as much as 3 seconds faster than anyone else on the track. One lap he was 5 seconds faster than Hepler, Townley, and Dungey! Townley had to work to get by Dungey but eventually found himself in the driver seat in the moto and that’s where he would finish. The most action happened in the last few laps with Villopoto almost going down again, Hepler actually going down, and Dungey riding like a seasoned pro and finishing second. Dungey showed real heart in both motos and is really looking like he will become a true contender in the near future. Before the start of the second 450 moto, David Pingree said that maybe Stewart will go down in the first corner and we’ll have a race like in the 250 class. Well Mr. David “The Fortune Teller” Pingree, that’s exactly what happened! Bubba crashed in the opening lap and was left in 37th place. Just like we’ve seen him and Ricky do time and time again, he would have to come back through the pack and try to salvage the best possible moto finish he could. Well just like his younger Kawasaki “teammate” James Bubba Stewart was blazing through the Washougal course, and soon found himself battling back into the top 10 passing guys like Tedesco, Vuillimen and Alessi. With about 3 laps to go, it looked as if Stewart had settled into 3rd place and would take the overall over Grant Langston who had won moto number 2. It looked like it was going to be another close finish between 3 riders. Tim Ferry would have been in third with a 2-3, then Langston in second with a 4-1 then Bubba with the overall with a 1-3. This is where things get crazy. First, James Stewart crashed in one of the easiest parts of the track, and remained down. As the entire field went by the #7, everyone had their eyes fixed on James Stewart, who appeared to be favoring his knee. That would have given Langston the overall win ahead of Tim Ferry. It was a very sad sight for everyone, with James having his second injury of the 2007 season. This one also looked more serious, since it was a knee injury. Knee injuries aren’t something you bounce back from in 2 weeks. I don’t know what it is the motocross gods have against Bubba but he just cannot catch a break. He’s one rider I wouldn’t blame for doing a Supercross only deal (I’m just kidding ) What happened next was very odd to say the least. Kevin Windham came across the line in second on the last lap of the race and appeared to slow down. No one was sure if it was mechanical or if he was injured or what, but about 3 turns later, Windham was pinning it riding harder than he had all moto. So it obviously wasn’t the bike, and if it was an injury, that’s the fastest recovery I’ve ever seen. It turned out that K-Dub thought the white flag was a checkered flag (maybe the boys at Honda need to get Kevin some contacts or something) and thought the race was over, only once a blazing Tim Ferry blew by him did he realize that the race was still on. This effectively, moved Ferry into second place, and gave him the over all win with a 2-2. If I was Tim Ferry I’d feel pretty lucky that the overall was given to me by someone not even in the overall contention. What a whacky series of events. So Washougal proved to be exciting like last year, only in a very very different way. But one thing I keep finding to be very true in all the outdoor national rounds is; Kawasaki’s dominance. They have won all but 1 overall in each class. Josh Grant took High Point in the 250 class, and Windham took Unadilla 2 weeks ago in the 450 class. Besides that, it’s been nothing but a green Kawasaki bullet train, barreling through the AMA nationals this season. Looking to the future, it looks like this injury might have really taken James Stewart out of the championship hunt this time, and that leaves the door wide open for guys like Ferry, Short, Langston and even Alessi. One X-Factor to consider is, the next round is Millville and a rider by the name of Ricky Carmichael will be present, so we’ll see how that plays into the mix next week. I would imagine he would win even if Stewart is there, but if Stewart isn’t there, it’s going to be a pretty easy 1-1 for RC. We have 4 rounds left in the AMA Nationals, and at this point, I believe that anything can happen. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Bob Hannah came out of retirement and cleaned up the last 4 rounds and beat up all the officials who denied him the championship trophy. I mean why not? Everything else has happened this season, what could possibly happen next?

A Week Of Moto

So I know I haven’t added anything in quite a while. I’m sorry. I’ve been a little preoccupied. But that does mean one good thing, I have a ton to write about now. So this isn’t really about anything in particular, this is just gonna be a big bag of stuff about everything in the industry from over the week, which is actually a lot. So here we go. First off I wanna talk about team switches. There seems to be a lot of that goin around right now, like a bad case of the flu or something. As you all know David Vuillimen is going with Suzuki, and his replacee Ivan Tedesco is going with the red crew at Honda. But it’s also very likely that Mike Alessi is going to be joining DV12 under the Makita tent with Roger DeCoster and the gang. That should be a pretty interesting team, with Vuillimen, Alessi, Dungey, and soon to be pro Nico Izzi. We’ll see how they do come supercross time. Also rumor has it that Chad Reed will be getting a new teammate in Davi Millsaps. Millsaps should be riding a San Manuel Yamaha by the time the ’08 Supercross season rolls around. That’s a lot of team switching if you really look at it. Next year you’ll have James Stewart and Tim Ferry on Kawi’s then Ivan Tedesco and Andrew Short on Honda’s. Then David Vuillimen and Alessi with Suzuki. Then last but not least, Chad Reed, Grant Langston and new teammate Davi Millsaps riding blue. Not to mention Nick Wey is now Factory KTM. And that’s only the 450 class! I don’t really think that this will affect the racing that much, as all the factory bikes are as good as one another. That’s not where the changes are. The changes are in the teams, and how they mesh together. Look at Jason Lawrence in the 250 class. With Rockstar Suzuki he didn’t have near the results he had with his current YoT Yamaha ride. He gives some of that credit to the bike (which I can understand) but he mostly attributes it to the team and the chemistry they have. So does that mean Mike Alessi and Vuillimen are gonna be champs? Well no. But they should much stronger with team guidance from Roger DeCoster and Ricky Carmichael on occasion. Even RJ, the bad boy, Ricky Johnson is with the Suzuki organization. It should be interesting to see how it all plays out, and who the winners are, as far as the teams go. Now on to my next and very important topic: Loretta Lynn’s. The biggest motocross event in the world is coming up, and coming up fast. Everybody and their families are already heading out to Hurricane Mills for a long and fun weekend of nothing but bar-to-bar racing. I haven’t had the pleasure of attending Loretta’s yet, but I’ve heard it’s life changing. If your competing, or watching or reporting, or selling shaved ice in the pits, it’s just something you have to experience. The next big stars like Nico Izzi, Will Hahn, Just Bracia, Austin Stroupe, Tarah Geiger and my local hero in the 65 class Jeremy Whilton, will be showcasing what they have, as they go up against the best of the best in each class from across the United States. 2 Notible names that are going to be missing are Ashley Fiolek and Landon Currier. Both are amazing riders but both got hurts before their local qualifiers. The racing will go on though, as it always does every year. Let’s hope everybody stays safe and the racing is good. But when isn’t Loretta’s good? There’s a lot more that’s in my mind that I wanted to talk about, but I forgot it all. I do wanna talk about Mitch Payton real quick. Does this guy have an eye for talent or what? Ryan Villopoto, Ben Townley, Brett Metcalfe, and Chris Ghosselar all led at least one lap at Lakewood last week. Every moto but one, has been won by someone on a green Monster Energy Kawasaki. Both Supercross championships were won by the Pro Circuit riders, and this outdoor will be no different. I greatly anticipate the same for next years supercross season as well. Christophe Pourcel will be racing supercross on, you guessed it, a Monster Energy Kawasaki. This team is just dominant. And it’s not like this is a new trend either. Look back at the riders that have rode for Mitch Payton: Grant Langston, Ivan Tedesco, James Stewart, Stephane Roncada, Nick Wey, Nathan Ramsey, and most notably, Ricky Carmichael. It’s almost a sign that a rider will be great if he started out with Payton on the Pro Circuit team. Which is not that hard to believe if you look at the points standings right now in both classes. In the 250 class Ben Townley and Ryan Villopoto are tied for points and have both won multiple motos and overall wins. No doubt in my mind those 2 will be great motocross legends. But then take a look at the 450 class and it’s littered with previous riders from the Pro Circuit squad. They rival dynasty’s in other sports like the Celtics and the Packers. Maybe it’s something about the color green…but the fact of the matter is that the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team, run by Mitch Payton, is on fire. Anyone in the amateur ranks who gets a call from these guys TAKE IT! This weekend is the Washougal National and it should be exciting. It’s the home track for both Ryan Villopoto and Josh Hill, and the racing in both classes should be good. If James Stewart is 100% he should walk away with the win pretty easily, but everything else should be exciting. The track has been changed around as well. Ralph Huffman talked about the track and the whole event a few days ago, and said he took out a few notable jumps to make room for Vendors, and added some bigger jumps in a different section of the track. That’s sort of a shame to motocross that the tracks are being dictated by vendors, but I guess that’s where the money is at. It should be a great race no doubt, and the weather in the Northwest has been great. Being from Oregon, I know first hand that the weather in the Pacific NW can suck balls! I just got off a long week of rain not to long ago. But luckily the sun will be shining for this round of the AMA nationals, and I’ll have my insight on the whole weekend Sunday night. See ya then!

Motocross Des Nations 2005 Video

This is probably one of my favorite videos on the entire internet. The song, and the still shots, and the video all go hand in hand. It was just such a badass moment. We went over there and dominated. Not like last year where we won, but Bubba didn't actually beat Stefan. No this was true USA style. Enjoy.

Motocross of Nations Short 2005

Mile High Madness

Today was the 7th round of the 2007 AMA nationals in Thunder Valley Colorado. James Stewart would make his return after an injury from a high-speed crash left him out last week at Unadilla. He skipped Saturday practice, like usual, but then, like usual, set the fastest lap in Sunday morning practice. It looked like things were finally going to go Bubba’s way. I don’t know what it is about the lucky number 7, but he can’t seem to catch a break. On what should have been a routine, day riding only as fast as he could to take the win, Bubba ended up battling the heat and the altitude in a wacky pair of motos. I’m going to do my best to keep this short, but no promises.
In the start of the first moto, James grabbed the holeshot, and was out front early. It was looking good for Stewart, and it seemed that even though he wasn’t 100% he would still pull out the victory. But then he started to slow down. I don’t blame him for taking it easy. Thunder Valley raceway is 6000ft above sea level, and it was about 100 degrees. I would have pussied out before the gate even dropped. But he rode strong and salvaged 4th. Millsaps got his first ever moto win in the motocross class, with local favorite Andrew short behind him then 800, Mike Alessi. So far Bubba still hasn’t won a moto since Ricky stepped away, and he would just miss out in the second moto.
Bubba was in his motor home, debating whether or not to even race moto number 2, when Big James (Bubba’s dad) came in and told James that he had more heart than that, and he should race. James would tough it up, and line up at the gate for the second moto, an achievement in itself.
When the gate dropped, it was Davi Millspaps with the holee, and it looked like the Duke was going to go 1-1 on the day and take his first overall victory. But about 3 laps in, an energized Stewart made the pass for the lead, and tried to open up a gap. Still Davi’s 1-2 would have gave him the overall, but with about 5 laps to go, he fell over, and began to fade, and could only hang on for 8th. Tough break for #118. Behind Bubba, was where the real racing was taking place. Local boy Andrew Short, Mike Alessi, Ivan Tedesco, and “Red Dog” Tim Ferry were battling it out. After 5 laps of bar-to-bar racing, Tim Ferry passed all the way from 8th to take over the lead with only 2 to go. James held on to 2nd, and Alessi got 3rd again, with Short in 4th.
The overall is really freaking hard to figure out. Stewart got a 4-2, Alessi got a 3-3, and Short got a 2-4. So who the hell wins? Well according to AMA rules, the rider with the best moto 2 score wins the tiebreaker, so that gives the overall win to, you guessed it, James Bubba Stewart. This is the first overall victory for Bubba this season, and the first time in a while, a rider has won an overall without winning a moto. Actually none of the 3 riders that tied for first won any motos today. Both Ferry and Millsaps had one good moto, and one bad moto, leaving them in 4th and 5th respectively. Wow what a day, and that was just the 450 class!
To keep things simple, it was another great battle between Kawasaki teammates Ben Townley and Ryan Villopoto in the 250 class. In the end, after swapping motos, Townley came away with the overall victory. Mr. 2nd moto comes through in the clutch again! But the 2 were tied for points going in to Thunder Valley, after Villopoto screwed up last week, so with both riders grabbing 47 points a piece today, they will still be tied going to Washougal next weekend. How crazy is that! Both classes had ties for the lead! Anyone who knows the last time that has happened, let me know, because I can’t imagine that happens too often. Then while your at it, let me know when the last time there was a 3-way tie for the overall lead, with no moto-winners in the 450 class. Good luck…
That’s what we’ve come to expect from the AMA nationals. Nothing but great racing week in and week out. So far, things haven’t been to bad without Ricky Carmichael, although I still miss him. But it is good to know that there will be a lot more weekends like this one to come. Get ready for ‘shougal next weekend! I get to actually attend this one. I know I’m excited, and you should be too.

The Future

      A new era in Motocross is about to begin. That’s good and that’s bad. Everyone who is a fan of motocross, or even knows what the sport is and who the racers are, will miss Ricky Carmichael. He is the greatest of all time, and it just won’t be the same without him. That’s the bad. The good part is that this opens up the sport for new winners and better racing. Well, at least it should. Bubba is going to be in a league of his own for a few years. That’s a given. But I don’t think he’ll be unopposed for long. Looking into my crystal ball, I see a 5 foot 6 red headed kid running the number 51 on a Kawasaki putting up a fight with JBS. I think that’s where the racing will be in a year or 2.
The future of motocross is really up in the air, with riders switching teams, and racing in other countries. Foreign riders coming to the states to race, and like I stated earlier, kids moving up to the big class and having an impact on the 450 racing. James Bubba Stewart will be very dominant no doubt. But I don’t think we’re ever going to see dominance like we saw from RC. Maybe in Supercross, James might make a run for the kings 72 wins, but I still think that soon Bubba is going to be fighting for his wins.
I’m just trying to speculate on what is going to happen now that the #4 has left us. The very first motocross race I ever watched as a kid was one of Carmichael’s very first victories. To put it simply, I don’t know any better! All my life I have seen nothing but pure, uncensored ass whipping week in and week out all courtesy of The G.O.A.T. But now that he has ridden off into retirement, every fan of the sport, along with myself, will have to get used to seeing someone other than Ricky on the podium talking about how super pumped they are to win a race. It’s nucking futz to think that there might be an actual championship race to contend to now!
Here’s to motocross and it’s future. We know that there will be some great racing soon, and no one can really say who’s going to be the man from here on out. Ok well I actually can say that Bubba is going to have a few free championships in the near future. But beyond that, once Villopoto, Townley and even guys like Dungey step up to the 450 class, things will get very interesting.

Motocross Tracks In Your Area?

One of the biggest problems in our sport, is the fact that our riding areas or getting shut down! Especially for those of you reading from cali forn i a. Talk about some tracks or riding areas near you that the man has taken away or shut down. If you dont have any tracks near you that have been shut down, tell me about the good tracks in your area. I want to know where to move to! Just as an example, there is a track close by me that some rich bitches from cali moved by. Well apparently no one told them there was a motocross track that close to their new houses and they started this big deal and tried to get the place shut down.

Make Sure To Check Out 459 Productions

This is Kyle Galbraith's work. It's just an intro, but make sure to look at his real videos. He shoot's video in the NW and his stuff is SICK! watch out Cudby.

07 intro



make sure to check him out here, http://www.459productions.com/home.htm

International Moto?

Ben Townley is currently tied for the lead in the AMA 250F points chase, with Washington native Ryan Villopoto. As all of you should know, Ben Townley was born and raised in New Zealand. The New Zealand Motocross of Nations team will be pretty damn good with Townley, and current MX1 point’s leader Josh Coppins. The killer kiwis. One rumor was flying around that Roger DeCoster was trying to get Josh to come over and ride outdoors next year in 2008 with Makita Suzuki. Not to mention Dan Reardon coming from Australia to ride for Sobe/Samsung Honda. What I’m trying to get at is; look at the riders from all over the world, coming to race in America. AMA nationals are starting to look like FIM GPs with all the different riders from all over the globe. Look at the variety we have now. David Vuillemin from France and Grant Langston from South Africa. Chad Reed from Australia. Townely from New Zealand. Christophe Pourcel from France who won a Supercross in the 2007 season before getting injured and having to return home. Josh Coppins might make an appearance, and Dan Reardon will be coming. He’s signed, sealed and delivered. Even Akira Narita from the “land of the rising sun” has put in a few impressive rides in the U.S. of A. I think it’s only right that the best in the world come to race the AMA nationals. I mean, that’s where the best come to compete. Stefan Everts came to America on many occasions. There have been many foreign riders coming to America in the past like Jean Michele Bayle, and Mickael Picon. Sebastian Tortelli was very competitive in his days. And I still vividly remember the Vegas Supercross when Stephane Roncada put up a fight with a young James Stewart. I don’t think it’s that hard to believe that the AMA nationals will soon be filled with riders from all corners of the globe. I think the only part I’m not looking forward to is hearing the riders try to piece together broken sentences in what is considered “English” and repeat about a thousand “umms.” No offense to all you over seas readers out there. I just think the podium would be a lot better with a bi-lingual translator, so I could actually understand what the hell David Vuillimen is talking about after a race. Viva La Motocross!

Matt Lemoine Motocross Youtube Video

A Tribute To The Greatest

Ricky Carmichael Tribute



Ricky Carmichael is the greatest motocross rider to ever live and he will be greatly missed.

381 is back!

April 20th 2007, I went through shoulder repair surgery, to fix all the ligaments I have torn up due to racing. Well let me tell you this, getting surgery, SUCKS! I couldnt move my left arm for a month, and my six pack abs turned to flubber. I sunk into deep deep depression, and for 3 months I had to listen to doctors tell me not to get on a bike, and going against what I wanted to do, I listend. But monday, that all changed. I woke up around 7:30, after getting no sleep and loaded up me and my dad's Yamaha race machines. We weren't exactly going racing, but rather a trip to Winchester Bay Oregon to tear up the miles and miles of sand dunes. That's where I started riding anyway so I felt right at home When the time came, I put on my pants, and jersey. Then helmet, then gloves and topped it all off with my Dragon's. The gas was on, and I was ready to go. After a few swift kicks, the bike jumped to life, and so did I. I could feel it running strong, practically begging me to ride it, as if my bike had missed me or something. I was so excited to finally rip around on a motorcycle again, that I forgot to let some air out of the tires (that's a rule in sand riding) So i rode back to the parking lot, let the air out, and was back on my way.

It was like I had never got hurt. Just like riding a bike.... ok so I was riding a bike, but the point remains, it all comes back to you. I felt great, for about 5 minutes. Then it felt like someone was taking a rubber mallet to my right arm. I guess 3 months of not riding really does stuff to your riding fitness. After only 5 minutes I had to go back and rest my arms, get some water, and try to get the goofy grin off my face. Luckly I did catch my second wind, and my whole day was filled with nothing but hauling ass. It was like being born again. Just me and my dad, racing around like nothing had ever happened. What more could I ask for. So I'm not exactly back to normal. I get tired just riding out of the parking lot, and my confidence is about as low as it could get. But that will all come back! My fintess will come and my speed will come. It can only get better from here. Watch out for the number 381 Yamaha tearing up a motocross track near you.

Unadilla 2007 In a Nutshell (A very large nutshell)

Last weekend at Unadilla, marked the first time in a long time that someone other than Ricky Carmichael or James Stewart took an overall. Mostly because neither of the riders was there. Ricky is going into retirement. Yes I know it's sad, trust me, I will miss him too, and James had a nasty fall in sunday practice that left him watching from the sidelines. This opened up the 450 field like never before. There was at least 6 guys that had an equal shot at winning, and everbody knew some good racing was in store. And of course, good racing did follow. In the first moto Kevin Windham stalked Mike Alessi for about 25 minutes until finally making a pass late in the moto. K-Dub would go on to win the moto, with Mike Alessi in second, and Grant Langston in third. Both Alessi and Langston put in great rides that day. Mike held of Windham for almost the entire moto, and Grant battled strong with Tim Ferry and Andrew Short to get the final podium spot. Tim Ferry would have had the third spot on lock, but he eventually fell over and could only settle a fifth. That would cost him later.

The second moto started with a Millsaps holee, and the Duke looked like he was gonna take it. That was until he faded back and started getting passed. Something is up with Davi, I'm not sure if it's fitness or he needs new underwear or what, but he needs to find his mojo if he is going to live up to his potential. Short inherited the lead, and lead for a good couple of laps before an enraged Tim Ferry took over the lead and ran away with the moto 2 victory. So a 5-1 score for Ferry left him in second overall, but if he would have stayed up in the first moto he would have finished with a 3-1 which would have edged out windhams 1-3. Ferry was mad to say the least. That could have been his first ever win in the Motocross class if he would have held on in moto 1. Hang in there Tim.

But enough about that, because I'm sure most of you already know what happened. But know what? If Bubba is out, the Motocross class will have at least 5 different moto winners throughout the season. We are used to Ricky, Bubba, and the rest of the field, with 3rd place being the only spot to fight for. Well if you look back, the pack has fought hard for that third spot and plenty of different riders have found themselves on the last step of the box. So with Ricky and Bubba gone, and 6 rounds to go in the 2007 season, it should be anyones race. That is only as long as James is still out. Reports say that he had a CAT scan today and it all checked out positive. He is planning on racing in Colorado next week after a second CAT scan. I want good racing, but i want healthy riders. It's a toss up I guess. I have all the respect in the world for James Stewart and his time has truly come. But I'm not looking forward to tuning into the Speed Channel to watch the number 7 bike lead wire to wire every race, while Emig and Ralph try to think of things to talk about, while some privateers battle for 18th place. Nothing tops Ricky and Bubba battling for 30 minutes til the checkers fly. But sadly that era is over, as Ricky is retired. He has 2 races left, and I know I wont be missing those.

So most of the news was in the Motocross class, but what about the 250F boys? You come to expect the same stuff from that class, but alot acutally happened at Unadilla. Ryan Villopoto DNF'd the first moto after a first fall broke his radiator, spilling all his valuable anti-freeze all over the Unadilla soil. Townley took over the driver seat, and Dungey held on and rode great to take second. The return of Hepler looked like it was going to be good, as he took third in the first moto, but things wouldnt go so well in moto number 2. J-Law came through the pack like usual and got 4th overall, and Josh Hill cracked into the top 5 for the first time this year. With RV crashing in moto 1, the points lead he had built up, vanished faster than he could say, monster energy kawasaki. He was going to have to make it happen come moto 2.

Well to no surprise, he did. RV grabbed the holee and ran away in convincing fashion. When that kid is on his game, he gives me chills. The last time I was in that much awe of a young rider, was when a little red headed kid from florida rode his KX-125 to his first national championship in 1997. What ever happened to that guy anyway? Well anyway, the rest of the field had some racing to do. Dungey found himself in second again with a chargin Josh Hill right on his rear wheel. Finally the race I've been waiting for! They both came in at millville last year, and havent really raced eachother since (except for about 4 laps at vegas) I was hoping my boy Hill would prove himself and make some sort of pass at the Makita Suzuki rookie. But he never did. He faded after about 15 minutes or so, and eventually let Townley by into third place, giving him the overall win. But a 5-4 would have been great for Hill! putting him into third overall. But he crashed. He fell in the back section and couldn't get his bike restarted. Ah what a shame. Great ride Josh! You'll get em next time. When the checkers fell, Ryan Dungey thought he had the overall with a 2-2 (oddly familair) and did a full on parade lap with pumping fists and an ear to ear grin. But in AMA rules a 1-3 beats a 2-2. I wouldn't want to have to be the guy to tell Dungey that. Still a 2-2 from a rookie who no one really saw coming is a great ride. That kid is going to be a great racer. Mark my words. So that's pretty much Unadilla in a few sentences. Pretty standard weekend in the AMA nationals.

One interesting note about the past weekend. Racer X posted the sign of the lap times and Ben Townley and Ryan Villopoto both ran 2:11's. That's blazing. But amazingly the fastest time in the 450 class was a 2:13 and 2:14. Wow those dudes are quick. Not to many times can i recall the 250's being faster than the 450's. Mitch Payton you are a genius!

Wieghts or Cycles?

Let’s take the road less traveled here and talk about some of the other aspects of motocross, like physical fitness. Everyone in the industry knows how physically demanding our sport is. But if you don’t know that much about motocross, and your not even sure why you found yourself on this little spot on the internet, let me tell you this, motocross is tough! At one time it was ranked as the second most physically demanding sport in the world.
Recently Racer X had an old interview up with Jeff Ward about Ricky Carmichael’s fitness. He was saying that the only reason Ricky was getting thrown around on his new 250, like it was a wild bull named “bone crusher” was because he didn’t have enough upper body strength. He suggested that Ricky do like Wardy did some 80 (ok more like 10) years back, and do free weights. Specifically jerks and high weight, small rep type programs. He didn’t think that the running and cycling routines really prepared a motocrossers body to deal with all the bumps and jumps of an MX race. Now maybe at the time Ricky really didn’t have enough upper body strength to handle his old 250 smoker, but RC didn’t take Wardy’s advice. He chose to go with the endurance training. Him and his trainer, Aldon Baker, go through a brutal routine, ever week that not many people could handle. Only a thoroughbred badass like RC could take so much abuse. The reason why: he just wants to win! Everybody knows that though.
So fast forward 10 years, 150 wins, and 10 championships to the present, and tell me how you think Ricky’s program worked out. So now I’m asking you, what training routine do you think is most effective for a motocross racer. The weights and muscle building like Jeff Ward, or the Cycling and endurance training that RC goes through. There’s no real right answer because Jeff Ward was VERY fit and he did just fine in his racing days, and to say that Ricky is the tell all sign that endurance training works the best, isn’t fair because Ricky is obviously from another planet. He could do Tae-Bo and still kick ass. So please, leave your feedback, tell me what programs you do, or just what you think is most logical for an MXer.

James Stewart Sidelined

Unadilla is one of the oldest motocross tracks in America, and this weekend was the 6th round of the AMA nationals. This also marked the first time in 10 straight years that the one they call G.O.A.T. Ricky Carmichael will not be racing. This would turn the points lead, and overall control of the series to Bubba Stewart, right? Well it would have if James were racing today. But due to a practice crash in the second lap, he is going to be watching from the sidelines this weekend. Racer X reported that James left with back and neck pain, and a possible concussion. That is really too bad considering the only thing keeping James from already having an outdoor championship in the premier class has been RC. And now that Ricky is gone everybody thought it was inevitable that Stewart would get his first national championship. That dream is still very possible for Stewart, as long as he only misses this weekend. But with a possible concussion, that may not be likely.
So what does this do for the MX class? Well it completely changes it, like redefining physics type stuff, because for the first time in 10 years, I really have no idea who could win this weekend. This will show us just how competitive the 450 class would be if it weren’t for the numbers 4 and 7. Ivan Tedesco was very fast in practice, until Grant Langston stepped in and set the fastest lap. Also fast was: Mike Alessi, Tim Ferry, Andrew Short, and Kevin Windham. This should be a very exciting race in both classes. The 450 class is anyone’s race to win, and with Hepler returning in the 250 class, there should be some bar to bar racing there as well. The AMA nationals never disappoint do they?

Check Out Chad Reed Tearing Up The 250F on Motocross.com

Ricky Carmichael Helmet Cam Must See

If you didn't think that was cool, get some professional help.

David Vuillemin Signs With Makita Suzuki. RC to Race Bercy

Makita Suzuki announced yesterday that David Vuillemin will be riding their new EFI 450 for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. This will mark DV12's first factory ride since Yamaha back in 04. Ivan Tedesco, their current 450 Pilot has signed a factory deal with another team, that he has left nameless. But mostly everyone knows by know that Hot Sauce will be riding red by next supercross season. Suzuki has co-operated very will with Tedesco and agreed to let him off one month early so he could race the U.S. Open and begin testing. It will be good to see how the riders do on their new rides come supercross time. Hopefully David will start to do some training that doesn't involve eating cookies. I think with Roger DeCoster as his team manager, he will get back to his old self.

More news from the folks at Suzuki, Ricky Carmichael has commited to racing the Bercy Supercross in November. RC raced the Bercy SX back in 1999 and a bike malfunction left him with a broken collarbone. Since then, The G.O.A.T. hasn't raced the over seas event, but without the pressure of contending for a supercross title in '08, Ricky is free to do as he pleases. The MXoN in Budds Creek were supposed to be his last race until this news came up. Personally, I dont think Ricky will race his last race in France. Ricky has stuck to his guns pretty well so far, but something tells me we'll get to see The G.O.A.T. race a few more times.

MX vs. ATV Untamed Coming in January

THQ showed off some news about the new MX racing game, set to hit next-gen consoles in January. MX vs. ATV Untamed is the sequel to MX vs. ATV Unleashed, which was an underdog to most in the gaming community, but turned out to be one of the best selling off-road racing games on the market. This time around, THQ looks to be going all out with Untamed, with new tracks, and modes like endurocross. Along with new racing features like scrubs and powerslides, and they also promised that the 2-stroke and 4-stroke bikes would perform differently. I know I'm excited to play this game, and hopefully it will be what we've all been waiting for.

No Fear Moto X America Tour Comes to Albany This Weekend!

      This weekend, the No Fear Moto X America tour, comes to my home track in Albany Oregon! I’m really excited about it, and also really bummed that I wont be able to participate in it (because of my recent surgery). But the event should be off the hook. Robbie and Ryan Leach who run Albany MX, really put their heart and souls into their racetrack. So if you’re even remotely close to the Albany area, make sure you take the trip out and see some good racing. It will be a fun weekend for sure, with games and food and other entertainment, and some racing of course. All ages of riders can compete so if it’s your first time on a little fiddy, or you’re getting close to senior citizenship, sign up!

Whos Got The Best Style ?

VS

DV12 Gooning it

These 2 obviously are smooth as silk. But who do you think is the smoothest?

James Stewart Flashback Video

This is a sick video of bubba back in the day, with some killer different camera angles. This is a must see!

Let us know what you think

Lites isn't spelled right anyway

The Lites class…. Ok before I even start, I hate that title. I think everybody in the biz hates it, except for maybe the guy who came up with it. So from now on I think I’ll refer to it as what it is, the 250 class. So the 250 class hasn’t been exactly what I had pictured before the season started. I think most people can agree with me there. I would have to say BT101 has been the biggest surprise thus far. For a kiwi, that guy hauls ass. Not to mention J-Law and RV. I would have expected way more battles between those 2. Not just because I like both riders, but because they were pretty evenly matched in Supercross, and Lawrence says he likes outdoors more, so I thought those 2 would scrape some plastic (well I guess they did, just not in the way I had imagined)

Ryan Dungey definaintly deserves some kudos for the rides he’s been putting in this summer. I don’t know why I didn’t expect Ryan to do as good as he’s doing, considering he’s under the Suzuki tent with Roger DeCoster and the G.O.A.T. Himself. Although he had a pretty violent spill last weekend that looked like it hurt pretty effing bad, I think he’ll return strong. Speaking of returning, I can’t wait to see how Broc Hepler does when he gets back into the action. Rumor has it that he’ll be back at ‘Dilla 2 weeks from now, so lets all hope to see the new blue 60 flyin out of that gravity cavity come next Sunday. He had some great rides last summer, at least in the races he raced at. B-Hep hasn’t really had a good full healthy season yet. He seemed optimistic about it all though, saying that he’s happy with another year in the Li… 250 class. That’s a good attitude to have about it. A lot of riders, including Ricky, later regret leaving the small bore class to early. It’s not that the 250F class has been lackluster, because there has been some great racing, it’s just not quite what I expected. The good thing is, the racing will only get better with guys like Hepler coming back and Townley searching for that extra speed. With Ricky leaving, I think a lot of fans will find themselves cheering the loudest when the 250 boys come around, as Bubba will most likely be on a completely different planet than the rest of the 450 field.

101 vs 101

The Ricky Vs. Everts era is over. Stefan isn’t doing the MXoN in September, and that will be Ricky’s last race. So you’re more likely to see James Stewart retire from motocross and pursue his dream of square dancing, than you are to see Ricky and Stefan race. What does this mean? Well it means a lot of things, but one thing it implies for sure is; the Internet will be going crazy, probably forever. Go to any youtube video, or moto forum and listen to the crazy moto junkie’s debate who’s better. From the sound of it, you would think that this question had never been answered before. But transworldmotocross posted some MXoN pictures from years back, and one photo stood out to me the most.

Ricky has beaten Stefan heads up, a few times in the past. Here in ’03 he did it, and Stefan was present in France in ’05 when Ricky, K-Dub and a young Hot Sauce annihilated the rest of the field. I think there is no Comparison. Ricky Carmichael has won as many outdoor races, in less time, in a much more competitive field. No disrespect at all to Stefan Everts and all the GP riders, but any body with the correct number of chromosomes knows that the US is where it’s at. Countless riders like JMB and Michael Pichon and DV12 have made it their dream to race in the states. Ricky is the G.O.A.T. and I think all the Internet junkies that even question RC will have a nice warm spot in the underworld waiting for them. Ok maybe being damned because of a lack of faith in Ricky is a little harsh. But the evidence is clear. Ricky has never lost to Stefan. The GP superstar has had some short-lived runs at the AMA motocross and supercross series but has never finished ahead of RC. So how can there even by any question as to who the greatest is? Never bet against #4.

This is Why Your Riding Areas Are Getting Shut Down

People like this make me sick! Because of these losers that have no respect for the riding laws, us responsible riders have to suffer! Do your job people, and ride by the law, and if you see idiots like this cruising your street, i wont tell if you throw some shit at them. i know i would.

Let me know what you think, and if you have any stories of geniuses like this tearing up your neighborhoods.

God Bless the USA

This weekend marks another birthday to the greatest country on earth! Its such a great feeling to live in a place where we have the freedom to do anything we wish, and say what we want, and not have to worry about nut jobs in turban's popping off AK-47 rounds if we dont applaud some terrorist dictator. I know plenty of you will all be out there riding, and racing, and just having a good time so just stay safe and dont do to much stupid shit. Remember that alcohol and motorcycles dont mix! this isn't some public service announcement, i just hate hearing about crazy redneck assholes who drink too much and end up hurting people because they flipped their quads or something. HAPPY 4th EVERYONE

STYLE MATTERS!

I know when I go to the races; I want to look as fresh, and pretty looking, as humanly possible. The gear I wear can affect me more than anything, even the weather. I have to have all matching gloves, pants and jersey, with a clean pair of boots, some clear goggles, and a shiny bike. You have to look good, to feel good, to race good. It’s just common geology, or something like that. The pros have it all handed to them. New gear for each moto, guys who break their boots in for them, and their wrenches make sure their bikes look brand new before they start a race.
For the average Joe rider, looking great can be more of a task, which is probably why the average rider takes such pride in his look. No matter how fast you are, you just look that much better if you have some clean gear, that just looks plain cool! Then add in a bike with some pretty noticeable bling, without a spec of dirt on it, and you are one good-looking motocross racer. Stunning good likes, like the ones I have, don’t always guarantee results, but it sure helps your confidence, especially if there are some certified dime pieces around. See, most chicks don’t care if you win; they just love “how cute” you look in your race gear. While I don’t recommend spending more time cleaning your new Alpinestars, than you do, riding or training, I do think it is a good idea to have a little style. You may come in last, but you’ll look damn good doing it.

Awesome pic from back in the day.

This is a sick photo of Bubba airing out Larocco's Leap on his KX-125. Not many guys can say they've hucked the leap on a 125. Even guys today dont do it on their 250F's. This just goes to show how much talent Stewart had, and what a freak he was in his 125 days. But oddly enough, I remember 2 years ago when Bubba was still on a 250 2-stroke and he was one of the only 250 riders not jumping it. Even his teammate at the time, Michael Byrne, was jumping it on the exact same bike. Maybe Bubba's horoscope told him not to or something. Who knows.

Helmet Cams Are The Shit!

Here's a cool helmet cam i found on youtube. this guy jonmx711 has all these helmet cams from some cali tracks, and they're all sick! check it out.

Ricky Gets 100!

Budds Creek is the sight for the 4th round of the AMA nationals on Sunday, and was a sort of preview of the upcoming Moto Des Nations. And to thicken the plot even more, Ricky Carmichael was chasing his 100th outdoor motocross victory! Jonathon Beasley had spent months preparing the Budds Creek race course, and even had an accident on his utility quad, and ended up with a broken hip. But come race day, the track looked great, and the fans were excited to see history. Who wouldn’t want to see the G.O.A.T. go for number 100?
The Lites class saw Ryan Villopoto run away with motos, leading every single lap, and making the rest of the class look like amateurs. Ok maybe not amateurs but, Ryan was on a whole other level. Ben Townley went 2-2 and J-Law went 3-3. Pretty basic racing, although the second moto had a great battle between Jason Lawrence, Josh Grant, and the rook, Ryan Dungey. They were 3 wide in some corners, and must have swapped positions close to 20 times. It was a great battle, and Lawrence walked away the winner of that battle, taking 3rd overall.
The real focus of the day was the 450 class. With Chad Reed making his Des Nations practice race, and Ricky chasing a Franklin, not to many people were sitting down when the gate dropped in the 450 class. The first moto was underway before we knew it, and the racing was brilliant. James Stewart got out to an early lead, and looked fast! He had an open track, and looked very comfortable. On the other hand, RC had a bit of trouble off the start but found himself in the runner up spot within a few minutes of the opening moto. A few mistakes would halt his come from behind win, but it looked inevitable. Then disaster struck. Ricky took a right hander before a big uphill right next to the mechanics area, and ripped off his goggles in disgust. Apparently, the lens from his Oakley’s were hit by a rock from Bubba’s tire, and popped out. Ricky stuck close for a while but eventually dropped back and secured second. Both riders almost threw it away in the first moto, when Ricky almost endo’d over a table top, and Bubba launched himself down Henry’s Hill and almost landed on Jason Thomas. Scary stuff. After the moto was over, Ricky let his goggle man have it! Now I’ve seen Ricky get mad in his career, but this was something else. The dude was steaming out the ears, and I guess I can’t really blame him.
But luckily there are 2 motos in outdoor motocross, and the second moto would see the same setup, almost exactly the same actually. James was out in an early lead, Ricky struggled, blah blah blah. With plenty of time left in the moto, Ricky found himself sniffing James Stewart’s exhaust pipe, as he followed him for about 9 laps or so. But the problem was, Ricky couldn’t get by. The track had one fast line, and one fast line only, and Bubba was in control of that line. Ricky pulled out all the stops as he tried to make up time everywhere. In one instance, Bubba pushed Ricky all the way wide, and off the track. But RC would make up that time and pull right back to Bubba’s rear wheel. Then it finally happened. Ricky Made a dramatic pass on an uphill right to left hander. The crowd went nuts! Even I watching on my big screen was jumping up and down, screaming at Ricky! It was a great pass, and a great race, and Bubba really made him earn that 100th win. After the race, Ricky dawned the new Fox 100 win T-shirt. It all was sort of ruined for me when James got on the podium and started making excuses that he didn’t feel good. Bubba needs to learn how to except defeat, and just work hard and comeback stronger. That’s what Ricky does. Ricky never blames anyone but himself, and James needs to learn a thing or 2 from RC.
But enough of that, the Budds Creek National was exciting to say the least. Great racing, great weather, great track (well almost) and great fans. I say almost because a lot of the riders had a few harsh words to say in the post race conference about the future site of the Motocross of Nations. Ricky was furious, saying the track was “one lined” and the soil was “deteriorating” and all in all, he hated the track. Everybody knows Jonathon put his heart and soul into that track, and for Ricky to completely cut him down like that was a little un-called for. Carmichael even apologized later on. But he was right about the track. There was only one fast line around the entire track, and looking back on it, I’m surprised that Ricky even made a pass in the first place. Lets all pray that the boys in Maryland make some provisions to the track before September.

Observations from Southwick

I don’t think a full on review of Soutwick is necessary. But there were a few things that I noticed over the weekend, as the boys of the AMA Motocross Nationals presented by FMF had their fun in the infamous sand of Southwick. First of all, RC had a tough weekend. With some over heating problems and a few stomach issues with his IBS. But he did put in some great rides and seal up the seemingly easy 1-1 victory. No surprise there. But I’m starting to think that Ricky may have bitten off more than he can chew. To be competitive at that level, you need to train, HARD. And Ricky is one of the hardest workingmen in all of sports, weather it be on a football field, a baseball diamond, a cross-country cycle, or a beautiful RMZ-450. The dude works. I think after 10 seasons, the rigorous schedule is starting to take its toll on the angry little elf. He can’t take it easy and lose, that’s just not an option for Ricky. If he is going to do the first 5 rounds like he said he was, he is going to win them. But with 2 new additions to the family, and the fact that he is just getting older, it seems to me that Ricky is a little in over his head.
The only other thing that really stood out to me in the sandy paradise called MX 338 was Grant Langston. What a ride the South African stud, as I like to all him, put in aboard his factory Yamaha. He eventually passed a fading James Stewart at the end of moto 2. I hope for more rides like this from Grant before the season ends. As long as he stays healthy, I think he could defiantly make a dent. Good luck Grant.
That’ all from Southwick. Congrats to RC for picking up the last double digit win of his career. The next number in line is 100…. See ya next week!

Ricky takes Red Bud in dramatic Fashion

Reeeeeeeeeeeddd Buuuuuuuuuuuuuud! One of the most memorable tracks in all of motocross was the site for the 5th round of the AMA Toyota Motocross Nationals, presented by FMF. Man what a weekend! Some good racing, some unexpected factors, and some really really really bizarre stuff. We’ll start with the Lites class.
Ryan Villopoto is starting a win streak, a very dominant win streak. He has led all but 6 laps in the past 4 motos! That’s impressive. He continued his dominance today at Red Bud, blowing away the rest of the field in Moto 1, and then in Moto number 2, the young Washington native, caught, passed, and gapped the kiwi, Ben Townley. Villopoto has really been displaying his true riding abilities these past 2 rounds. The first 3, Ryan and Ben were battling very hard, and each one looked impressive to say the least. These 2 Kawasaki backed riders are without a doubt on top of their game.
Ryan Dungey had a bit of a fall in practice on Saturday and had to leave after he was knocked out. Sadly he failed to show up ready to ride on Sunday and was absent from the racing action. Josh Grant picked up 3rd overall above Jason Lawrence who was fast as usual, but just didn’t put it all together when it came time to race. He’s one of the Lites riders that I really root for, so I’m hoping he’ll pick up at least a moto win before the end of the season. GOOD LUCK JASON. Another Yamaha rider who seems to be having a hard time is Josh Hill. I grew up watching Josh Hill in Oregon, so he’s kind of my hometown hero. Trust me guys; this dude has some serious speed. Just give him time.
Now to the premier class; Ricky Carmichael was chasing his 101st overall win of his outdoor career. Just like the previous week in Budds Creek, Ricky’s day wasn’t anywhere close to perfect. The first moto was very uncharacteristic for RC, as he made multiple mistakes that ultimately cost him the moto win. He had caught James Stewart, but blew up a few corners and found himself on the runner up spot by the end of moto one. Now I just got done watching Moto number 2 on Speed Channel, who has been doing an excellent job of same day coverage of the outdoor nationals, and let me tell you, I’m still in a little bit of shock. First off, Mike Alessi holeshoted BOTH motos then proceeded to lead a pretty impressive number of laps. It took both Ricky and James quite a bit of effort to get around the Red Bull KTM rookie. Great job Mike. I don’t think a lot of people had expected Alessi to ride that strongly this season. I guess he has the boys at KTM to thank for sending him one of David Phillipaerts shocks. Anyway back to the action. Ricky had a pretty terrible start, and it took him around 12 minutes to catch up to James. But with a good deal of time left, Ricky found himself inside a comfortable gap of Hubba Bubba. Ricky struggled a little bit, switching up his lines a lot and making a few mistakes here and there, but he slowly inched up to James. The biggest factor was time. It took Rick so long to get his ass up to the front, that it looked as if he might not get him. Then one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen in motocross happened with about 2 minutes to go in regulation time (not counting the final 2 laps). James Stewart went into a tight right hander, and clipped his front brake on a hay bale on the inside of the corner, and locked up the front and did a full on endo right in the middle of the turn! I couldn’t believe my eyes. So close to sweeping RC 1-1, and he stuffs it. It was truly a gift to Ricky, as I honestly cannot say that it was for sure that he was fast enough to catch James. As I was watching the race, I was observing each riders riding styles, and it seemed as if for some reason, at Red Bud the roles were reversed. Bubba looked calm cool and collected, was taking smart lines, and seemed like he had the endurance. But on the other hand Ricky was riding with a lot more style, scrubbing all the jumps, throwing some huge whips over Laroccos Leap, and railing the outside berms, feet on or off the pegs, it didn’t matter. In the end, Ricky did get his 101st AMA outdoor victory, a record that I think could stand forever. Ricky is the G.O.A.T. hands down, but I think he might not have been the fastest man this weekend in Michigan. He has one more go around, before the Des Nations in September, at Millville. Then it’s off to Budds Creek for the Olympics of Motocross. Cant’ wait, and big shout out to Ricky and James for some great racing!